Hawks-Bobcats game thread
Greetings, all
Ken here for the last time in awhile as MC braces for the mother of all road trips.
1) You may find this interesting. On my way in to the arena, I was thinking to myself, If I were ever to feel good about wagering on a game (not that I wager), this would be it. Hawks have spent three days stewing over an embarrassing loss, playing at home where they’ve beaten Charlotte seven in a row, Al Horford back, Charlotte coming off a back to back, etc.
However, I confess I was not aware of what happened in Charlotte last night. The Bobcats lost at home to New Jersey, which had come into the game having lost 12 in a row on the road. Not only that, but Charlotte never led the whole game.
Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace excoriated their teammates for their lack of effort. Read these gems, excerpted from the Charlotte Observer game story (written by the very capable Rick Bonnell, who is sitting behind me in the media room):
“To not even show up at all is embarrassing,” said Jackson (21 points). “It’s sad that a coach has to ask guys to play hard…to care.”
“We acted like the other team was just going to fall down. There are only two or three teams in the league (good enough) that they can be like that. We’re not one of them.”
Or as Wallace (20 points and nine rebounds) added, “We just gave away a game in Indiana (Wednesday). We can’t keep doing that.
“We haven’t lost two (straight) games; we gave them away with our (lack of) effort. A coach should never have to ask for that.”
So, rather than being a gut-check game for one team, it’s a gut-check game for both. I still give the edge to the Hawks by basis of rest, being at home and the fact that they’re better, but this could be a bit more of a fight than you normally see in February.
2) This sort of feeds into 1), and is kind of amusing. I was in the locker room prior to the game, and it came to light that Wallace, from tiny Childersburg, Ala., bought 80 tickets for the game. Apparently even the mayor is coming. So Marvin Williams kiddingly wished Josh Smith good luck in defending a presumably extra-motivated Wallace. (Childersburg’s website claims it’s the “oldest city in America.” Not sure how that’s possible, but, hey, who am I to argue?
3) Nothing else new to report, really. Horford’s still going.
Enjoy the game.
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442 comments Add your comment
bigdave
February 12th, 2011
9:23 pm
cold blooded killer.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 12th, 2011
9:23 pm
Hawks deserved to lose.
For the record, Joe has 5 years/$107 million left on his deal, while Stephen Jackson has 2 years/$19 million left on his deal.
bigdave
February 12th, 2011
9:23 pm
up 23. smh.
yodaddy
February 12th, 2011
9:23 pm
Another home collapse….please Basketball Gods….all we ask is a trade to get Bibby out of here
terrell
February 12th, 2011
9:23 pm
JJ
“Aint no pressure on me man.” The hell it aint.
Sautee
February 12th, 2011
9:23 pm
Ouch
Nique's Revenge
February 12th, 2011
9:24 pm
See Joe? That’s how to take over at the end of the game and win.
J.J.M
February 12th, 2011
9:24 pm
I cant to hear what the hawks have to say after this…clearly its bad coaching and they need to trade players
{MAC-Town Georgia 478}
February 12th, 2011
9:24 pm
Cant wait for the post game comments from the team and coach.
Wabe
February 12th, 2011
9:25 pm
How many times does the same ish have to happen before it becomes a given? How many times do we have to see it before we can conclude this is just what it is with this team?
{MAC-Town Georgia 478}
February 12th, 2011
9:25 pm
CANT WAIT!
{MAC-Town Georgia 478}
February 12th, 2011
9:25 pm
CANT WAIT!
bigdave
February 12th, 2011
9:25 pm
no need to overreact..
the Hawks needed to sign Joe.
this loss isnt about him. the same reason we let teams back in games is the same reason we can never come back.. our 23 pt deficits turn into 30+ point blow outs.
Sid
February 12th, 2011
9:25 pm
now that was funny….pathetic losers.
Tremaine
February 12th, 2011
9:25 pm
Stephen Jackson for Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby
Najeh Davenpoop
February 12th, 2011
9:25 pm
Don’t forget, it’s all our fault. If we had gone to the game, the Hawks would have magically won. Real cities support their mediocre teams that blow 22 point leads and lose to teams below .500.
O'Brien
February 12th, 2011
9:25 pm
I wonder if LD will talk about some kind of change again.
And the Hawks now go on the road for 7 straight games. I know they play better on the road, but still…
yodaddy
February 12th, 2011
9:25 pm
Trade Bibby, Jamal Crawford and Mo Evans……nobody wants those players though….smdh
TruthSeeker
February 12th, 2011
9:26 pm
It’s all a fait accompli anyway. This team is destined for a first-round exit.
J.J.M
February 12th, 2011
9:26 pm
lol this the reason i went to 12 games last season and no games this season…I know what to expect from this team
just sayin
February 12th, 2011
9:26 pm
People keep paying money for that stuff….hahah. Feel sorry for big Al getting stuck in this place…Oh well off to ‘da clubs.
Eric C.
February 12th, 2011
9:26 pm
SSSSSSOOOOOOOSSSSSSS
Flea
February 12th, 2011
9:26 pm
Well said Najeh
northcyde
February 12th, 2011
9:27 pm
LOL . . they deserve to lose that game.
This type of loss bothers me a lot more than lethargic losses. It’s these types of losses that illustrate the multiple things wrong wth the squad.
Great game Josh and Al. At least you 2 came to play.
Smh @ Marvin and Jamal. Can’t have that out of them.
And once again, JJ misses a ton of open 3s.
But when it’s all said and done, it’s not just one problem with this team. This team has multiple issues.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 12th, 2011
9:27 pm
I want to know how many post ups Smoove had in the 2nd half. I can’t remember a single one. And that’s after he dominated in the post in the first half.
Sautee
February 12th, 2011
9:27 pm
Well, as I’ve said before, the worse things look, the bigger the chance that Gearon will figure out that the core might not be worth keeping.
Nique's Revenge
February 12th, 2011
9:27 pm
No, we didn’t need to sign Joe. He proved last season he could not take us to the next level. Why keep him? To avert a losing season? If the goal is a championship, it would of been better to get rid of him and keep searching for pieces of the puzzle that fit.
Not continued to be puzzled.
Wabe
February 12th, 2011
9:27 pm
BLOW IT UP…
OR ADD THE NECESSARY PEICES
bigdave
February 12th, 2011
9:28 pm
lol.. who partying tonight w/ Joe @ The Mansion Elan ..?
yodaddy
February 12th, 2011
9:28 pm
can we have AT THE VERY LEAST some trade rumors??? THis team is not constructed to get out of thee 1st round let alone the 2nd round.
Send Bibby, Jamal Crawford, Jordan Crawford, Jeff Teague, Cash, and some future first round picks for Carmelo Anthony….then maybe we could score in the 4th quarter
{MAC-Town Georgia 478}
February 12th, 2011
9:29 pm
http://atlafterdark.com/directory/Joe-Johnson-host-at-The-Mansion-Elan.html
lmao….
Flea
February 12th, 2011
9:29 pm
The HAWKS remind me of the Hawks back when we had Smitty, Mookie, and Mutumbo. Good enough for 50 wins but after almost getting put out in the first round last year< this will be the year we get our first round 1 exit since Boston.
Tremaine
February 12th, 2011
9:29 pm
ASG= Dump parents
Hawks= Spoiled kids
LD= Babysitter (no respect)
Sautee
February 12th, 2011
9:29 pm
northcyde,
Bad enough that Joe and Jamal were a combined 0-9 from threes, but we didn’t NEED them shooting threes if we kept pounding it inside.
yodaddy
February 12th, 2011
9:29 pm
At least Stephen Jackson’s club in Atlanta he just opened up is doing well…because the Hawks aint JACK SQUAT
cp
February 12th, 2011
9:30 pm
just pathetic.
Nique's Revenge
February 12th, 2011
9:30 pm
Nique laughs at this. “Remember ‘93 beaaches???”
Leo
February 12th, 2011
9:30 pm
I wish we had went after Livingstone last summer when he was available. We have glaring holes at point guard. We need better ball movement. I hate iso offense.
bigdave
February 12th, 2011
9:30 pm
Mac..
i see we on the same page.. lol
terrell
February 12th, 2011
9:30 pm
Hawks are as soft as wet tissue paper.
Wabe
February 12th, 2011
9:30 pm
Tremaine
February 12th, 2011
9:29 pm
ASG= Dump parents
Hawks= Spoiled kids
LD= Babysitter (no respect)
Well put.
Could definitely see that.
coolio
February 12th, 2011
9:31 pm
it ain’t joe johnson fault?what?he don’t care bout winning long as he get his.no emotion on his face.damn josh was bout to damn near cry because he hate to lose expecially after a performance like this from him.Joe didnt score over 10 points i don’t believe.120 mil WASTED
lewis
February 12th, 2011
9:31 pm
Damn give me my 2 hours back
Jesse
February 12th, 2011
9:32 pm
This team just needs a guy who will drive to the basket. They settle for jumpers all game, and if they go cold there is no way they’ll ever win.
Leo
February 12th, 2011
9:32 pm
I like Joe can’t blame him for missing a jumper, but we need to put the ball on the floor and go to the cup. I also hate jump shooting offensive play. Can we please use Horford more and bring in a Center and Point Guard.
Please Please Please
Najeh Davenpoop
February 12th, 2011
9:32 pm
“no need to overreact..
the Hawks needed to sign Joe. ”
I agree they needed to sign him to maintain their status as a playoff team, which is why I wasn’t really opposed to it when it happened, but at the same time by keeping him they definitively took themselves out of the running to become a title contender and basically announced to the world that they are satisfied maintaining the status quo of winning 50 games and losing in the 2nd round.
Of course, I trust Joe to take this team farther than they have gotten a hell of a lot more than than I would have trusted Rick Sund to find a suitable replacement for him if he had left.
Anyway, this loss was a result of awful tactics (specifically not getting the ball in the post) and was bigger than one man. LD is the guy to point the finger at, if anyone.
Nique's Revenge
February 12th, 2011
9:32 pm
lol @ Flea, I remember one playoff game in 97 or 98 against the Bulls, Jordan got tired of Mutumbo and double pumped fade on him over his fingertips, swoosh, then wagged his finger at him
lewis
February 12th, 2011
9:32 pm
should’ve pounded inside the entire game i don’t care if josh an al get 17 shots a game as long as 12 are in the post
ICECOLD
February 12th, 2011
9:33 pm
Did yall notice every time zaza got in the game, the hawks lead faded away.. and when zaza and Marvin was in the game at the same time… they started losing!!! ( this game shows who really needs to be traded,
Marvin Williams, f###in sucks, he deserves to be traded
Zaza, he needs to be traded to a team and I don’t care what we get for him, anybody is better then him
Mo evens, definition of garbage , trade him in a package deal
Jamal Crawford, I think its bout time to get him out of here while people still might want him for a starting center in a package deal.. and just let somebody else be six man..
Their u go… I would give everybody I just named for
Either one of these centers
Pau gasol
Nene ( and birdman or another player )
One of blazers centers
Etc.. etc.
Just do somethin
O'Brien
February 12th, 2011
9:33 pm
Hawks with 34 points in the second half. 14 in the fourth. Hawks were 4-23 from the field in the 4th,
Shaun Livingston with 18 points, 4 assists. He was available over the offseason too, but the Hawks had no interest in another backup PG…